Structural member comprising glass macrospheres

A preformed reinforcement for installation into the cavity of a structural member to reinforce the structural member comprising;

• a flexible sheet material stiffened by application of a low temperature cured adhesive thereto and formed into a shape to fit closely within the cavity of the structural member, said flexible sheet material having a high temperature cured adhesive coating at least at the outer face thereof for contacting with the structural member and adapted to effect a heat cured bonding of the stiffened flexible sheet material to the structural member upon heating to a high temperature;
• and
• an air permeable structure of glass macrospheres bonded together and to the sheet material by an adhesive coating, said macrospheres having voids therebetween so that airflow may be communicated through the reinforcement and cavity of the reinforced structural member.

A reinforcement for an elongated tubular structural member of a vehicle body comprising:

• an air permeable structure of glass macrospheres composed of bonded together hollow microspheres and having a diameter of 3 to 9 mm. with an adhesive coating the exterior thereof, said adhesive being in an amount effective to bond together adjacent contacting surfaces of the macrospheres and yet leave open voids remaining between the macrospheres upon curing of the adhesive whereby the macrospheres are bonded to one another and to the walls of the structural member to reinforce the structural member and maintain airflow through the reinforced elongated tubular member via the voids between the macrospheres.